Shetland Lace Knitting Workshop

Three women from this part of the world representing the knitting guild in Lerwick shared their lace knitting expertise and showed some of their beautiful shawls and scarves made from one ply wool.

The knitter above, Kathleen Anderson, can make something the size she shows below in about six weeks.

Close ups of lace:

Sandra Manson was commissioned to knit the Royal Baby's Christening Shawl.  This quote is from The Shetland News:

The robe was made of Shetland supreme one-ply worsted spun yarn, which is the nearest to homespun it is possible to get. Although the full-length garment only took two weeks to make, it took six weeks to plan.

This was our supplied yarn

Shetland Islands Pictures

A church and graveyard.

On the way to Lerwick  by coach

Is this green?

At lunch, a gull taking bread.  He flew onto an abandoned table and snatched an uneaten sandwich.

SheeBeeEverywhere having a lager while her keeper knits.

Lerwick suburbs.

Wool fleeces at Jameson & Smith Wool Brokers.

Oliver giving information at Jameson & Smith.  

Knitters after Jameson & Smith.

Oban, Glencoe, West Highland Lochs and Castles

We took a coach with 16 passengers for a ten hour drive through the western highlands of Scotland.  John McDermott was our guide.  Doesn't he look handsome in his kilt?

John gave us lots of historical information about clan rivalries and slaughters in prior centuries.   He entertained with traditional music while driving when not dispensing jokes and stories. 

We took in Kilchurn Castle, in the historic village of Inveraray.  This is the castle, dating back to the 1600's.

Foxgloves were growing in the wild around the castle.

We gathered wool from the gorse around the castle, compliments of many black faced sheep.

We had fresh, and I mean fresh off the boat fresh, fish and chips in Oban for lunch and walked around this sea side town.  The fish was light and delicious!  We then drove through the western highlands and pictures will be forthcoming of that area.  The heather was blooming early this year, and some pictures of the reddish purple flowers will be included when I get home to download them from the camera.

Oban by the water at low tide: